Clothing and home retailer Primark has appointed Sue Fairley, formerly senior head of sustainability, sourcing and quality at New Look, to oversee its ethical sourcing operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA).
Fairley was most recently responsible for New Look’s sustainability strategy in her role as head of environmental, social and governance (ESG), sourcing and quality. She joined New Look in 2016 after senior positions at Charles Tyrwhitt, where she was head of technical between 2014 and 2016, and Boden, where she served as director of product technology from 2008 to 2014. Her career began at Debenhams in 1988 before moving to Arcadia Group in 1999 as head of quality assurance.
The appointment comes shortly after changes in Primark’s senior leadership. In July, Michelle McEttrick, the company’s chief customer officer, stepped down after nearly three years. Primark credited McEttrick with playing a key role in laying the foundations for the brand’s future direction.
Fairley’s move also follows restructuring at her former employer, New Look, which announced plans in May to cut up to 100 jobs at its London and Weymouth head offices as part of a wider business reorganisation.
